Alternative Effect Addenda
by JordanBookWorm
Summary: A collection (maybe?) of addenda and background information that I've been piecing together for the main story. Contains updated background for when I eventually get around to doing a rewrite of the original fic.


_Aridolus,_

 _Here's some basic information that I was able to dig up from the human_ Internet _using my military connections. Most of this is freely available on the extranet, but some more recent information is inaccessible due to the problems with connecting to human and Citadel network systems. It's not much, and I'll try to find more, but hopefully this will help with your schola project. I've added notations where I felt it necessary._

 _Your uncle, Sorus._

+Document Attached+

* * *

 **United Nations Navy**

 _Note: The human military, while large and requiring a term of service from most citizens, exists outside of their governmental structure. So despite all the power their military holds, it is still subordinate to non-military personnel. Be aware of this when working with humans. Apparently they are somewhat averse to having the military in control of their governments. It should also be noted that "Navy" is a holdover term from when humans had ocean-traversing military forces. As such, much of their terminology is "Navy" related, and has no direct equivalents within the Hierarchy._

[Ranks] (Fleet / Marines):

(Officer)

-Fleet Admiral / General of the Corps

-Admiral / General

-Vice Admiral / Lieutenant General

-Rear Admiral / Major General

-Commodore / Brigadier

-Captain / Colonel

-Commander / Lieutenant Colonel

-Lieutenant Commander / Major

-Lieutenant / Captain of Marines

-Sub Lieutenant / First Lieutenant

-Ensign / Second Lieutenant

(Enlisted)

-Master Chief / Sergeant Major

-Operations Chief / Master Sergeant

-Gunnery Chief / Gunnery Sergeant

-Chief Petty Officer / Staff Sergeant

-Petty Officer First Class / Corporal

-Petty Officer Second Class / Lance Corporal

-Serviceman First Class / Private First Class

-Serviceman Second Class / Private

* * *

[Fleet Home Ports - post-2170 Fleet Reorganisation]

 _Note: Prior to the Relay 314 Contact, there were seventeen human fleets. four stationed in their home system, eleven in systems close to their home star, and two stationed at Arcturus, their primary relay hub. By GS 2902 (2162 in the human calendar), this number had increased to twenty. After GS 2910 (2170), these fleets were reorganised into nine larger fleets. Four are centred around their home system, while the other five are assigned to systems throughout the Relay Network._

 _Note 2: Visit Shanxi if you can. It's very nice in the temperate zones. Perfect for fishing._

-Navy Headquarters: Ural'sk Hive, Earth, Sol

-1st Fleet: Artemis Station, Geostationary Orbit, Sol; Fleet Base Eagle, Luna, Sol

-2nd Fleet: Fleet Base Deimos, Mars Orbit, Sol; Gagarin Station, Charon Orbit, Sol

-3rd Fleet: Fleet Base Osphranter, Per Ardua, Alpha Centauri

-4th Fleet: Fleet Base Astarte, Demeter, Epsilon Indi

-5th Fleet: Arcturus Station, Arcturus

-6th Fleet: Fleet Base Ragna, Elysium, Vetus

-7th Fleet: Fleet Base Williams, Shanxi, Laozi

-8th Fleet: Bifrost Station, Terra Nova Orbit, Asgard

-9th Fleet: Fleet Base Akebono, Horizon, Iera

* * *

[Fleet Primary Shipyards]

 _Note: These are just the_ major _facilities. This doesn't count the innumerable smaller construction facilities scattered throughout human space_

(Sol System)

-Earth: Norfolk, North American Union; Saitama, Empire of Japan; Woomera, Australasia; Portsmouth, United Kingdom; St Petersburg, Russia; Minsk Hive, Belarus; Cheorwon Hive, Korea; Freedom Station, LEO; Artemis Station, HEO

-Luna: Fleet Base Eagle, Tranquility; Port Aldrin, Tranquility; Crisium Bay, Mare Crisium; Tycho Hive, Tycho crater; Port Island, Mare Insularum; Imbrium Bay, Mare Imbrium; Cooper Station, Lagrange 5

-Mars: Deimos Station, Mars Orbit; Phobos Station, Mars Orbit; Zeus, Olympus Mons

-Asteroid Belt: Prosperina, Ceres; Silvia, Vesta

-Jupiter: Port Gan De, Ganymede

-Pluto: Hades Station, Pluto Orbit; Gagarin Station, Charon Orbit; Nyx Station, Nyx

(Extrasolar)

-Barnard's Star: Newland Station, Haven Orbit; Roosevelt Station, Haven Orbit

-Alpha Centauri: Tarantulae Station, Chiron Orbit; Canton Station, Chirosynchronous Orbit; Gumtree Station, Per Ardua Orbit

-Epsilon Eridani: Circumference, Circumstance

-Epsilon Indi: Astarte, Demeter; Promitor Station, Demeter Orbit

-Arcturus: Arcturus Station; Port Sihnon, Eunomia

-Vetus: Fleet Base Ragna, Elysium; Grissom Station, Elysium Orbit; Port Lalibela, Elysium

-Laozi: Fleet Base Williams, Shanxi; Rush Station, Shanxi Orbit

-Asgard: Bifrost Station, Terra Nova Orbit; Yggdrasill Station, Terra Nova-Synchronous Orbit

-Iera: Fleet Base Akebono, Horizon Orbit; Curiosity Station, Horizon-Synchronous Orbit

* * *

[Ship Types]

 _Note: Humans use an alphanumeric designation for codifying vessel types. This helps prevent confusion between ships that use the same name._

(Combat):

Frigate (FF):

-Naming Scheme: Battles from human history

-Classes in service: Hong-Kong, Argyre, Coral Sea

-Roles: Scouting, Harassment, Marine Insertion

-Number in Service: 187

-Average Length: 140m

-Weapons: 80m Spinal Gun, Disruptor Torpedoes, GARDIAN

-Vehicles: 1x M35 Mako IFV

-Notes: Ground vehicle added after development of Mass Effect drives

Heavy Frigate (FA):

-Naming Scheme: Last-stand battles  
-Classes in service: Numantia, Alamo, Thermopylae

-Number in Service: 103

-Roles: Scouting, Harassment, Missile Platform

-Average Length: 210m

-Weapons: 80m Spinal Gun, Javelin System, Anti-ship Missiles, GARDIAN

-Vehicles: 2x M35 Mako IFV, 1x D-23 Corvus Dropship

 _Note: What does it say about humans that they name an entire class-type of vessels after specific instances of culture?_

Destroyer Escort (DE):

-Naming Scheme: Human cultural artefacts, such as artworks, songs, literature, and legends

-Classes in Service: Tempest, Odyssey, Mona Lisa

-Number in Service: 90

-Roles: Fleet Escort, Anti-fighter Screen, Missile Defence

-Average Length: 190m

-Weapons: GARDIAN, Point-Defence Cannons

-Vehicles: 2x D-23 Corvus Dropships

-Notes: Developed after First Contact. Specifically designed to defend fleets from fighters and torpedoes.

Destroyer (DD):

-Naming Scheme: Famous Navy and Marine personnel

-Classes in service: Manadal, Garroway, Tzanellis, Xiang

-Number in Service: 118

-Roles: Fleet Escort, Missile Platform, Light Combatant, Anti-Fighter Screen, Missile Defence

-Average Length: 320m

-Weapons: 200m Spinal Particle Cannon, Anti-ship Missiles, GARDIAN, Point-Defence Cannons

-Vehicles: 1x D-22 Sabretooth Dropship, 1x D-23 Corvus Dropship

-Notes: First developed after First Contact

 _Note: From what I could dig up, the reason they have two closely overlapping warvessel types is a result of cost and manpower. Destroyers seem to be more general-purpose vessels, but are larger and more costly, while the much smaller destroyer escorts are cheap anti-fighter platforms meant to supplement the anti-fighter screen of a carrier. They must have anticipated that their carrier concept would take hold, and worked around that._

Light Cruiser (CL):

-Naming Scheme: Cities in Africa, Asia, Australasia, and extrasolar colonies

-Classes in service: Sydney, Sendai, Penang

-Number in Service: 105

-Roles: Light Combatant, Frigate Leader, Patrol

-Average Length: 460m

-Weapons: 350m Spinal Gun, GARDIAN, Point-Defence Cannons, Disruptor Torpedoes

-Vehicles: 3x D-22 Sabretooth Dropships

-Notes: The smallest class of starship capable of independent action

Heavy Cruiser (CA):

-Naming Scheme: Cities in Europe, the Americas, and colonies within the Sol System

-Classes in service: Vancouver, Underhill

-Number in Service: 81

-Roles: Medium Combatant, Destroyer Leader, Patrol, Ultra-light Fighter Support

-Average Length: 530m

-Weapons: 420m Spinal Gun, GARDIAN, Point-Defence Cannons

-Vehicles: 2x D-22 Sabretooth Dropships, 4x FA-9 Trident Fighters

Battlecruiser (BC):

-Naming Scheme: Capital cities of Earth nations (including those that are part of super-nations) and the Colonies

-Classes in service: London, Geneva, Canberra

-Number in Service: 43

-Roles: Medium-Heavy Combatant, Interdiction, Bombardment, Heavy Missile Platform

-Average Length: 670m

-Weapons: 420m Spinal Gun, GARDIAN, Point-Defence Cannons, Disruptor Torpedoes, Anti-ship Missiles, Turreted Particle Cannons

-Vehicles: 4x D-22 Sabretooth Dropships

-Notes: In-between of Heavy Cruiser and Battleship. Versatile, but the effectiveness of the design is questionable.

Battleship (BB):

-Naming Scheme: Mythological creatures

-Classes in service: Fury, Shiranui, Phoenix

-Number in Service: 47

-Roles: Heavy Combatant, Bombardment, Relay Assault

-Average Length: 910m

-Weapons: 800m Spinal Guns, GARDIAN, Point-Defence Cannons, Turreted 80m Guns, 40m Broadside Guns

-Notes: The first battleships entered service in the years after the Martian Campaign due to the recognised need for a dedicated mobile orbital bombardment platform. Mounts two 800 metre spinal guns, and sixteen frigate spinal guns in eight double turrets, in addition to the internally mounted broadside guns.

 _Note: Despite humans not being a part of the Treaty of Farixen, their humerous "battleships", with their 800 metre spinal guns, are actually treaty compliant. The humans seem to not have updated the technology in the spinal guns of these vessels, so these guns are approximately on par with Hierarchy cruisers._

 _Note: Fighter carriers are an interesting innovation. Read up on the Battle of Torfan. Also of interest is their use of fighters dedicated to engaging other fighters._

Escort Carrier (CVE):

-Naming Scheme: Famous warships from history, up to the end of the BETA War

-Classes in service: Antarctica, Yukikaze, Endeavour

-Number in Service: 54

-Roles: Fleet Escort, Atmospheric Staging Platform, Light Fighter Support

-Average Length: 330m

-Weapons: GARDIAN, Point-Defence Cannons

-Vehicles: 4x D-22 Sabretooth Dropships, 30x FA-8 Sylph Fighters, 20x FA-11 Faun Fighters

-Notes: Smallest conventional ship type fitted with G-Element cores, to allow prolonged atmospheric operation. All flight operations are conducted using an external flight deck on the upper-side of the ship.

Light Carrier (CVL):

-Naming Scheme: Mythological heroes

-Classes in service: Apollo, Freyja, Tsukuyomi

-Number in Service: 27

-Roles: Heavy Fleet Escort, Fighter Support

-Average Length: 560m

-Weapons: GARDIAN, Point-Defence Cannons

-Vehicles: 6x D-22 Sabretooth Dropships, 40x FA-9 Trident Fighters, 25x FA-10 Aether Fighters, 12x FB-6 Kairos Fighter-Bombers

-Notes: Based off modified heavy cruiser hulls.

Fleet Carrier (CV):

-Naming Scheme: Famous intellectuals, artists, and leaders

-Classes in service: Einstein, Bridges, Da Vinci, Grissom

-Number in Service: 12

-Roles: Flagship, Heavy Fighter Support

-Average Length: 1280m

-Weapons: GARDIAN, Point-Defence Cannons

-Vehicles: 6x D-22 Sabretooth Dropships, 15x D-23 Corvus Dropships, 113x FA-9 Trident Fighters, 84x FA-10 Aether Fighters, 31x FB-6 Kairos Fighter Bombers

-Notes: Like assault carriers, the hulls are based on the sponson-hull design of BETA War-era space assault carriers. Landing decks are external to hull to allow for retrieval of fighters during combat, while fighters are launched via internal catapults.

Assault Carrier (CVA):

-Naming Scheme: Mythological cities and landmasses

-Classes in service: Athens, Mu, Petra

-Number in Service: 16

-Roles: Flagship, Marine Deployment, TSF Deployment, Light Fighter Support, Bombardment

-Average Length: 1310m

-Weapons: 800m Spinal Guns, GARDIAN, Point-Defence Cannons, FA-8 Sylph, FB-6 Kairos, Tactical Surface Fighters, Marine Landing Forces

-Vehicles: Mission-specific Loadouts

-Notes: Uses the sponson-bay design of BETA War-era orbital assault carriers, but greatly enlarged compared to their 21st century predecessors.

Dreadnought (BD):

-Naming Scheme: Mountains on Earth

-Classes in service: Everest, Kilimanjaro

-Number in Service: 9

-Roles: Super-Heavy Combatant, Bombardment, Anti-fleet, Light Fighter Support

-Average Length: 1720m

-Weapons: 1300m Spinal Gun, 50m Broadside Guns, GARDIAN, Point-Defence Cannons, Turreted 50m Guns

-Vehicles: 8x D-22 Sabretooth Dropships, 16x FA-9 Trident Fighters

-Notes: Developed post-First Contact. Increased size compared to Citadel Dreadnoughts is due to primitive Mass Effect technologies available during the development of the Everest-class. The newer Kilimanjaro-class is similarly sized, but advances in eezo tech allows for a much more powerful gun.

Stealth Frigate (FSR):

-Naming Scheme: Turning-point battles

-Classes in service: Normandy

-Number in Service: 5

-Roles: Scouting, Harassment, Special Forces Insertion

-Average Length: 100m

-Weapons: GARDIAN, Disruptor Torpedoes

-Vehicles: 1x M35 Mako IFV

-Notes: The success of the Normandy at the Battle of Torfan led to the class being approved for further construction.

 _Note: Remember, logistics will make or break an army._

(Auxiliary):

Support Carrier (AVX):

-Naming Scheme: Major lakes

-Classes in Service: Baikal, Malawi

-Number in Service: 19

-Roles: Mining, Manufacturing, Vessel Repair, Refuel, Resupply

-Average Length: 1480m

-Weapons: GARDIAN, Point-Defence Cannons

-Vehicles: 8x C-31 Heavy-lift Shuttles, 4x C-33 Gnome Tugs, Mission-specific Vehicles

Corvette (FK):

-Naming Scheme: Code numbers. Personal names assigned by crews

-Classes: C, D, F

-Number in Service: 343

-Roles: Scouting, Patrol

-Average Length: 50m

-Weapons: Anti-ship Missiles, 20mm Chaingun Turrets

-Vehicles: N/A

Troop Carrier (OLS):

-Naming Scheme: Rivers on Earth and the Colonies

-Classes: Mississippi, Rio Grande

-Number in Service: 85

-Roles: Troop/Vehicle Landing/Retrieval, TSF Retrieval

-Average Length: 200m

-Weapons: GARDIAN, Point-Defence Cannons

-Capacity: 400 Infantry / 20 Armoured Vehicles

* * *

[Experimental Classes]

-Naming Scheme: Mythological weapons. Weapon type chosen based on role.

Ascalon-class:

-Type: Experimental Dreadnought

-Ships in Class: Ascalon

-Status: Mothballed at Martian Shipyards

-Notes: Test-bed for the mass accelerator designed for the Everest-class dreadnoughts.

Durandal-class:

-Type: Experimental Stealth Frigate

-Ships in Class: Durandal, Joyeuse, Cortana

-Status: **_Classified_**

-Notes: Test-beds for Normandy-class IES and camouflage-field systems.

Ichaival-class:

-Type: Experimental Stealth Carrier

-Ships in Class: Ichaival

-Status: Under construction at Deimos

-Notes: Escort carrier based on the Normandy-class stealth frigates.

* * *

[Weapon systems unique to United Nations Navy vessels]

Lance Anti-ship Weapon System:

-Classification: Fission-pumped directed energy weapon

-Carried By: Fighter-bombers, Frigates

-Details: Using a special set of mirrors and lenses developed from study of Laser-class BETA, the Lance torpedo uses the detonation of a small fission device to generate a focused beam of energy capable of burning through dreadnought-grade armour. However, the beam only has a duration of a few microseconds, as the detonation causes the entire weapon-system to be vapourised. This, coupled with beam diffraction, requires that the weapon be activated close to the enemy warship, necessitating its fitting to fighter-bombers and fast frigates, which can more easily close with the enemy ship, and then escape the blast radius of the torpedo.

Point-Defence Cannons:

-Classification: Small-scale rapid-fire multi-munitions mass accelerators

-Carried By: All military vessels larger than frigates

-Details: A variation on existing EML gun-systems, PDCs are combined with advanced active sensor systems to provide high intensity close-defense, as well as limited anti-ship capability. These typically are loaded with 40 millimetre flak ammunition, which creates a wall of shrapnel around the vessel at 120 rounds per minute per gun, making fighter attacks incredibly dangerous. The guns can also be reloaded for solid or inertially-fused ammunition for anti-ship duties. Due to the use of full-sized munitions rather than ammo block shavers, PDCs are liable to run out of ammunition during prolonged battles.

Particle Cannons:

-Carried By: Destroyers, Battlecruisers

-Details: Based on the particle cannons mounted on the XG-70 Valkyrie and Susanoo gravity forts, the weapons fire a stream of ionised particles at relativistic velocities. While effective against lightly armoured vessels and kinetic barriers, particle beams lose their effectiveness against vessels more heavily armoured than a light cruiser, due to the ratio of ablative armour thickness versus the duration for which the weapon can be fire before it overheats.

Destroyers are fitted with spinal particle cannons to allow them to go toe-to-toe with larger cruisers, while battlecruisers, which are built to engage groups of cruisers, carry multiple in turret mounts. The spinal particle gun of a destroyer is more powerful than those carried by battlecruisers, but battlecruiser guns are capable of individually higher rates of fire. Battlecruiser crews affectionately call this "beam-spam".


End file.
